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At last year’s Streaming Media West conference, I had a chance to catch up with David Morel, who has worked for a number of content delivery networks (CDNs) and streaming platform providers in his career. Morel is a strategist and a fixer of complex problems so when he’s excited about something, I listen carefully and am often not disappointed. This meeting was no an exception, as he took the chance to talk about Unicorn Once, Unicorn Media’s new media manipulation technology and the problems it solves.

“Did you know that HLS works best in five-second segments on some devices,” he asked, “but in others it makes more sense to use the ten-second segment approach? We’ve figured out which devices do better in particular playout scenarios,” Morel said.

Having spent a few weeks in mid-2011 doing playout testing on a number of Android devices, as part of a set of reports commissioned by Adobe, Morel’s comment about different approaches for different devices piqued my interest, especially since his timing was spot on: a pressing concern had just arisen about Android playout, as during Streaming Media West 2011, Adobe announced development of Flash Player for Mobile was being discontinued.

At the same time, Google was announcing support for Apple HTTP Live Streaming in its newest Android operating system, Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. In addition, MPEG DASH was winding its way through ratification for fragmented MP4 (fMP4) HTTP delivery, leaving the overall mobile video delivery market in a state of flux as to whether to stick with Flash Player or move to other solutions.

When I asked Morel how many devices they were working on, his answer floored me: it turns out that Unicorn had figured out the best playout profiles for a variety of iOS, Android, and other mobile devices, plus a number of set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Morel claimed that Unicorn can provide up to 4400 customized strings that covered over 500 different devices (and here I was happy I’d been able to test 14 and present my findings at Streaming Media Europe) but he also was quick to point out that no more than 100 mobile devices account for about 99 percent of all video content consumed in the marketplace today, and that globally no more than 500 devices are used except for very fringe cases. This matches up with my testing, where we determined about 400 different device permutations were needed to adequately cover the existing Android devices in mid-2011.

With the customized strings in hand, Morel said, Unicorn was able to create Unicorn Once to customize the experience for almost any user of any video-equipped mobile device.

“We are able to generate the appropriate format from a single high-quality file at the time of request, which is where the Once name comes in,” Morel said. “Give us a file once and we’ll make sure it’s delivered to the user’s device in the best possible format. And we’ll do it via a single URL.”

Just doing real-time conversion would be interesting enough, but Unicorn Media had its sights set on a higher prize: the ability to add multiple interstitials (read, commercials) into long-form content, with each user receiving a customized mix of interstitials based on the currently available advertising inventory.

“We generate the unique content for a unique end user at the time of request, instantaneously, with a full feature-length film with 20 commercials taking about one second to push through our Dynamic Permutation Layer or DPL,” said Morel. “We don’t do it through transcoding, but through direct file manipulation, effectively stitching together a seamless single piece of content with all the interstitials integrated directly in to the single piece of content.”

It all sounded a bit too good to be true, so like all good skeptics, I put the Once technology conversation aside for a few months. Last week I followed up again, asking Morel to elaborate with a customer example. Morel mentioned AccuWeather and another customer, Screen Media.

“For our customer, Screen Media, that has a library of premium long-form content, we do up to 28 interstitials for delivery to a Roku set-top box,” Morel said. “We’ve been told by Roku that no one else is doing that many interstitials, and certainly no one is doing it with delivery of different commercials to each unique user.”

Morel noted that Unicorn isn’t really stitching content together, although there are some devices that expect a playlist of content. Because Unicorn can “directly manipulate several pieces of video content into one seamless file” via their DPL, the ability to instantly change up advertising inventory is feasible.

“The moment a new commercial is available in inventory, we can begin serving it as part of our rotation,” he said, adding that a live version of the technology is also in beta release.

Today, while clicking on a video on MSNBC regarding the South Carolina Republican primary, I noticed the URL that briefly appeared was prefixed by once.unicornmedia.com.

The two images here show the page just before clicking the video link and just after clicking it.

Is MSNBC about to announce that it has become the newest Unicorn Media customer? If so, what will be the impact of a news organization being able to monetize live streams online in the same way that it monetizes breaking news (by adding in commercial breaks)?

Unicorn won’t confirm whether or not the MSNBC.com iPhone delivery is a beta test or a full-blown move away from bigger name CDN partners to the Unicorn Once technology (served through a Unicorn partner CDN, since Unicorn itself is not technically a CDN provider). It appears, however, at least a portion of MSNBC’s current videos are being served via Unicorn Once.

Unicorn Media predictions via Vidcompare.com:

The venerable OVP space is going to continue to consolidate  – no surprise there – but the players who are growing are solving real problems for a space that has made mobile and connected device video more than a novelty.

1. The problem of platform proliferation is still growing. There is so much innovation in business models and technology that content producers will continue to be challenged with the need to reach new devices, operating systems and delivery networks.  At Unicorn Media we see dozens of new devices accessing our customers’ content each week. The Kindle Fire is just the beginning of a parade of emerging technology such as the Honeycomb (and all its variants), Windows Phone 7.5 (and 8), the long-awaited Apple TV and the many connected TVs expected to surface this year at CES.
2. Rise of the “channel”. Netflix is losing its stronghold on content deals and the customer relationship.  The number of specialty OTT providers producing channels to reach Roku, LG, Samsung and Apple TVs will begin to swell this year (see Popcorn Flix, FilmBox, Music Choice and others for examples of this today).  When the logjam breaks is anybody’s guess, but these entrepreneurs are looking for ways to reach customers – fast.  Solutions for Live and Linear channels will become as important as VOD as part of a complete solution for engaging customers.
3. REAL-time Analytics and Dynamic Advertising is moving from a concept to a need. The trends above increase the need for solutions that allow video publishers to shape their business model into something that works for them and their customers.  OVP providers who cannot supply their customers with real-time analytics that allow for on-the-fly adjustments, advertising content that can change or shift without relying on a Flash client, a device-specific app, or re-transcoding will be greatly challenged to meet ever-increasing customer demand to reach the sea of devices while making real-time decisions that affect their profitability.

Bill Rinehart, CEO, Unicorn Media

Read the full article at : http://blog.vidcompare.com/online-video/2012-online-video-predictions-ovps/

Panel To Discuss The Impact on Consumer Electronics Manufacturers of Cloud Computing Deployment

Tempe, Arizona – December 15, 2011 – Unicorn Media, a digital media management provider, today announced that its CTO, AJ McGowan will be speaking at the 5^th annual DCIA “Conference within CES” scheduled for Wednesday, January 11th in Las Vegas, NV in conjunction with the 2012 CES International trade show. The Distributed Computing Industry Association (www.DCIA.info) is an international trade organization with more than one-hundred industry-leading Member companies and is an allied association of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Unicorn’s CTO, AJ McGowan will take part in the panel discussion titled, “The Impact on Consumer Electronics Manufacturers of Cloud Computing Deployment” featuring Stefan Bewley, Director, Altman Vilandrie & Company; Shane Dyer, President, Arrayent; David Frerichs, Strategic Consultant, Pioneer Corporation; Kshitij Kumar, SVP, Mobile Video, Concurrent; Michael Papish, Solutions Architecture Director, Rovi Corporation; Jordan Rohan, Managing Director, Stifel Nicolaus; and Chuck Stormon, CEO, Attend. Their expert panel examines the implications of remotely accessing applications and data that must be integrated into networked end-user devices. A look at servers and other edge storage hardware products rounds out the discussion. The panel discussion takes place on Wednesday, January 11^th, at the DCIA Conference in the Cloud at International CES. For more information, visit http://www.cesweb.org/.

McGowan is responsible for developing Unicorn’s patented technology platform, Unicorn Once™. Unicorn ONCE™ allows video publishers to upload their content one time and distribute it to any Internet-connected device while allowing for dynamic ad integration and real-time analytics across every platform. Together, Unicorn’s modular suite of workflow optimization tools, including its technology platform Unicorn ELEMENTS, analytics tool Unicorn VISION™, and multi-screen ad targeting and analytics technology Unicorn ONCE™ make the distribution of content to any IP-enabled device less time consuming and less expensive, enabling content owners to cut cost and maximize profitability.

About Unicorn Media, Inc.

Unicorn Media, Inc. is a digital media management provider that helps companies deliver media to any device, anytime, anywhere, while providing real-time analytics on any platform. Unicorn’s core services include Unicorn ONCE™, Unicorn VISION™ and Unicorn ELEMENTS™, technology that allows users to syndicate to any Internet-connected device, track content in real-time across any platform and optimize workflow to maximize profitability. http://www.unicornmedia.com.

Click on the envelope to view the e-card

PATENTED UNICORN ONCE™ TECHNOLOGY FACILITATES MULTI-SCREEN,
PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC VIDEO ADVERTISING STRATEGY

Tempe, Arizona – November 29, 2011 –Unicorn Media, a digital media management provider, today announced that it is powering the delivery of ads to mobile devices and OTT devices for TidalTV, a video advertising platform and solutions provider, through its Unicorn ONCE™ technology. Unicorn ONCE™ facilitates TidalTV’s ability to work with its publishing partners to help monetize content across multiple platforms—such as smartphones, tablets, Roku, Tivo, smart TVs, etc.—in response to advertisers’ growing interest in reaching consumers wherever and whenever they consume video.

Unicorn ONCE™ is a patented technology solution that allows video publishers to deliver their content to any Internet-connected device with one simple step, then simultaneously allows for dynamic ad insertion and analytics across these same platforms.   Similarly, Unicorn ONCE™ allows ad platforms like TidalTV to greatly reduce the complexity of managing and delivering ad inventory by allowing them to upload their ad content one time, then dynamically target ads in real-time across every platform.

“TidalTV has the dual responsibility of helping our publishing partners optimize their inventory across the spectrum of emerging, multi-screen platforms, while also ensuring that our advertisers have the tools necessary to follow consumers across the many devices on which they now watch video,” said Kevin Haley, Chief Scientist, TidalTV. “Partnering with Unicorn Media, a leader in multi-screen video delivery and analytics, has helped us achieve both of these important objectives at scale.”

Together, Unicorn’s modular suite of workflow optimization tools, including its technology platform Unicorn ELEMENTS, analytics tool Unicorn VISION™, and multi-screen ad targeting and analytics technology Unicorn ONCE™ make the distribution of content to any IP-enabled device less time consuming and less expensive, enabling content owners to cut cost and maximize profitability.

“Tidal TV is an excellent example of the way in which Unicorn ONCE™ creates opportunities for monetizing content,” Bill Rinehart, Founder and CEO, Unicorn Media. “Our customers can seamlessly distribute their ad and video content via a single URL to any Internet-connected device, dynamically insert ads on-the-fly, and analyze all their content on any platform. We’ve not only given them the ability to distribute content more easily and efficiently, we’ve also enabled them to monetize that content on any device.”

About Unicorn Media, Inc.

Unicorn Media, Inc. is a digital media management provider that helps companies deliver media to any device, anytime, anywhere, while providing real-time analytics on any platform. Unicorn’s core services include Unicorn ONCE™, Unicorn VISION™ and Unicorn ELEMENTS™, technology that allows users to syndicate to any Internet-connected device, track content in real-time across any platform and optimize workflow to maximize profitability. http://www.unicornmedia.com.

About TidalTV, Inc.

TidalTV is a video advertising platform and solutions provider that flawlessly connects some of the world’s most powerful brands with their targeted consumers. Working with over 1,000 premier content creators and publishing partners, TidalTV has access to an online addressable universe from third-party providers, offering the ability to target precise consumer segments by demographic, psychographic and behavioral metrics. TidalTV’s industry-leading, mathematically-based consumer targeting technology guarantees that advertisers extract maximum value from every media impression, and that publishers monetize their audience most effectively.  TidalTV leverages the power of consumer data and ad decisioning to increase accountability, optimize performance and deliver tangible ROI within video campaigns. TidalTV is headquartered in Baltimore, MD, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and London. For more information, visit www.tidaltv.com.

PATENTED UNICORN ONCE™ SOLUTION DELIVERS, MONETIZES AND ANALYZES VIDEO CONTENT ON AMAZON’S KINDLE FIRE ON DAY OF RELEASE

Tempe, Arizona – November 16, 2011 –Unicorn Media, a digital media management provider, today announced that its Unicorn ONCE™ technology platform provides out-of-the-box support for the newly released Amazon Kindle Fire, a multi-media tablet device. Unicorn Media’s patented technology platform, Unicorn ONCE™ delivers high-quality video, on-the-fly ad integration and real-time analytics to the Amazon Kindle Fire day one.

Unicorn ONCE™ support for the Kindle Fire clearly illustrates its ability to future-proof video delivery for its customers, providing immediate and seamless support for emerging technology and evolving operating systems allowing video publishers to monetize their content on every platform. Unicorn ONCE™ is a patented technology solution that allows video publishers to ingest their content once and receive a single URL in return, enabling video delivery to any Internet-connected device with dynamic ad insertion and analytics across any platform such as iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Roku, Tivo, Boxee, Smart TVs and countless others.

“Our customers were able to monetize their video content on the Amazon Kindle Fire on day one of its release with no additional development required. We designed Unicorn ONCE™ to provide our customers with the means to monetize their content on every device and future-proof their businesses in the process,” said Bill Rinehart, Founder and CEO, Unicorn Media.

Unicorn ONCE™ is not a client SDK or server-stitched solution, it is patented technology that allows Unicorn customers to ingest their content one time and receive a single URL in return, while optimizing monetization across every platform by allowing for targeted, dynamic ad integration on-the-fly and real-time analytics on any device through Unicorn VISION™. Unicorn ONCE™ is layered on top of the Unicorn ELEMENTS™ technology platform; Unicorn’s modular suite of workflow optimization tools that make the distribution of content to any IP-enabled device less time consuming and less expensive, enabling content owners to cut cost and maximize profitability.

FORMER BANDCON CO-FOUNDER TO OVERSEE OPERATIONS AND DRIVE SALES FOR RAPIDLY GROWING DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Tempe, Arizona – October 5, 2011 –Unicorn Media, Inc., a digital media management provider, today announced that it has appointed Mike Flatin as President of the rapidly growing company. Flatin, former co-founder and COO of BandCon will now drive the Unicorn Media sales organization as well as managing day-to-day operations for the company.

“We are excited to have Mike Flatin as our President,” said Bill Rinehart, Unicorn Media Founder and CEO. “Unicorn Media has developed a patented software solution that allows video publishers to quickly and easily monetize their content on every Internet-connected device. Mike’s experience in successfully growing and monetizing media companies will be invaluable as Unicorn Media continues to scale globally.”

Mike Flatin served as Co-Founder and COO of Internet infrastructure provider, BandCon, where he pioneered the idea of “content networking/content peering.” His hands-on experience in solving Internet infrastructure issues for content providers is an asset to Unicorn Media and its customers.

“At Unicorn Media we believe that IP devices will define the next generation of media. We have the right people, the right model, and the right technology patents to really make this exciting. It goes without saying that this is a massive opportunity,” said Mike Flatin, President, Unicorn Media.

Mike Flatin will be speaking on the panel “Content Delivery – Rich Media – Managing the Three Screen Challenge: PC, TV and Mobile” at Digital Hollywood Fall, October 20, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey, California. Visit our website for more information.

Online Video and Music Network to Launch Cloud-Based Website for Greater Digital Marketing Success

San Francisco, CA– September 27, 2011–Sitecore today announced that Music Choice, the multi-platform video and music network, is launching a new website powered by Sitecore’s Web Content Management System (CMS) and Customer Engagement Platform and Microsoft Windows Azure Platform. In addition, Unicorn Media, Inc., a digital media management provider, will allow Music Choice to deliver live linear broadcast streams via its patented Unicorn ONCE™ technology. The move to a cloud-based platform will reduce time to market for new content and streaming services while adding support for multiple devices. The website is expected to launch in Q4 2011.

“We are very confident that a cloud-based Web platform will deliver more flexibility and convenience to our growing customer base,” said Dave Del Beccaro, president and CEO, Music Choice. “Leveraging the Windows Azure platform as a service model provided a distinct advantage over other cloud platforms due to its simplified development model and reduced total cost of ownership. Furthermore, Sitecore’s commitment to the cloud builds on all the advantages of Windows Azure while helping us achieve our branding and marketing goals.”

Music Choice delivers its music programming to millions of consumers nationwide through televisions, the Web and mobile devices. Sitecore’s Web platform enables Music Choice to achieve its digital marketing goals with a rebranded website. In addition, Sitecore provides the Music Choice team with an intuitive Web interface, allowing them to be more responsive and nimble, as the fast-paced music and entertainment market constantly evolves.

“The Windows Azure platform helps ensure that consumers will be able to enjoy the wide range of services and content that Music Choice offers,” said Prashant Ketkar, director of product marketing, Windows Azure, Microsoft. “A Windows Azure-based website is the ideal solution to meet market and competitive demands with reduced cost and risks.  We look forward to working with Music Choice as it re-launches its brand and expands its services.”

The Microsoft Windows Azure platform extends the Sitecore solution to the cloud, to easily and quickly scale websites to new geographies and respond to surges in demand. With the Sitecore mobile ready architecture, Music Choice can support millions of mobile users, as well as tablets and PCs. Content and messaging are delivered consistently across all devices and every channel of engagement.

“Unicorn Media has created a virtual and personalized instance of Unicorn ONCE™ for Music Choice, that allows them to streamline content delivery to any Internet-connected device, and dynamic ad insertion and analytics across any platform,” said Bill Rinehart, founder and CEO, Unicorn Media. “Our technology platform was built for scale with media companies such as Music Choice in mind.”

FINANCIAL EDUCATION COMPANY MANAGES MEDIA AND MONITORS CONTENT PERFOMANCE WITH UNICORN MEDIA

Tempe, Arizona – September 21, 2011 –Unicorn Media, Inc., a digital media management provider, is handling the delivery of online video for Rich Dad Company, a leading provider of educational materials about personal finance. Rich Dad Company selected Unicorn Media’s modular technology platform specifically for its ability to monitor content performance in real-time as well as its optimized ad integration technology.

Rich Dad Company provides financial education via books, seminars, videos, coaching, social media, innovative technology, and the board and Web game, CASHFLOW®. Unicorn Media’s technology platform, Unicorn ELEMENTS™, provides them with media management tools that quickly and efficiently ingest, manage, syndicate and analyze their content. Rich Dad Company also has the capability to deliver their content to any Internet-connected device such as iPhones, iPads, Android, Blackberry, set-top boxes, game consoles and more through Unicorn Media’s patented Unicorn ONCE™ technology.

Unicorn Media provides Rich Dad Company with real-time analytics through Unicorn VISION™, which allows them to monitor content performance to maximize profitability. Unicorn VISION™ is unique in that it provides detailed analytics such as video reach, content consumption, domain or geography-within seconds of real-time and across any platform including browsers, smart phones, tablets, set-top boxes and more. Unicorn customers can create custom reports on-the-fly ranked by streaming time, skips, number of plays, ad completes, location, date, etc. Unicorn Media’s technology also allows the Rich Dad Company to easily place ads and track performance while allowing for content or ad changes on-the-fly to best monetize content.

Brett Bottesch, Executive Producer at the Rich Dad Company states, “For the first time, we can better serve our customers by knowing exactly what they are watching and how long they view our Rich Dad content.  We will soon be reaching over 5,000 hours of footage. We are confident that this system will help us better manage our video assets.”

“Rich Dad Company has a rapidly evolving video strategy and our patented technology platform takes the complexity out of their current workflow as well as making it simple to syndicate to other Internet-connected devices. Our technology was built to scale with our customers evolving needs, Rich Dad Company is well-positioned to grow their business,” says Bill Rinehart, Founder and CEO of Unicorn Media.

LEADING WOMEN’S LIFESTYLE NETWORK CUSTOMIZES VIDEO DELIVERY SOLUTION WITH UNICORN MEDIA’S FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

Unicorn Media, Inc., a digital media management provider, is powering the delivery of video for Womensforum.com, a leading women’s lifestyle network reaching 17-20 million unique visitors per month. Womensforum.com selected Unicorn Media’s workflow optimization tools and modular technology platform for a customized video delivery solution tailored to meet their unique requirements.

Womensforum.com is one of the Internet’s leading communities for women. The Womensforum.com network consists of articles, blogs, forums, and videos featuring information pertaining to women, such as parenting, food, health, style, living, entertainment, love and relationships, and more.

Womensforum.com chose Unicorn Media’s technology platform after testing dozens of video platforms and players and determined that Unicorn Media was the only company able to meet their unique enterprise class delivery requirements with features including sophisticated scheduling capabilities, dynamic playlists and more. In addition, Unicorn Media also had the capability to build additional features and functionality that Womensforum.com requested.

Unicorn Media’s technology platform, Unicorn ELEMENTS™, provides Womensforum.com with all the tools necessary to quickly and efficiently ingest, manage, syndicate and analyze their content, and enables the network to deliver media to any Internet-connected device as their mobile delivery strategy expands. Unicorn Media provides Womensforum.com with unique scheduling capabilities, which other providers could not deliver. The solution also includes Unicorn VISION™, Unicorn Media’s real-time analytics, which allows Womensforum.com to quickly and easily pull reports to analyze usage and consumption and better optimize their video model for maximum profitability.

“After testing multiple platforms and video players, Unicorn Media was the only technology that could deliver the solution we needed. It’s allowed us to implement our video model and deliver videos in a way no other platform could permit,” says Jodi Beck, Editor in Chief at Womensforum.com.

“Womensforum.com had specific requirements which we were able to meet due to our modular design and extensive rest API technology, allowing us to easily customize solutions for video publishers on any scale. Our workflow optimization tools and real-time data warehouse were designed to allow our customers to quickly and easily deliver video anywhere, anytime and on any device,” says Bill Rinehart, Founder and CEO of Unicorn Media.

In addition to Unicorn’s suite of workflow optimization tools, its patented Unicorn ONCE™ technology enables content owners to ingest and deliver video to any Internet-connected devices such as iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile 7, game consoles, set-top boxes, etc. while providing dynamic ad integration and real-time analytics across any platform via Unicorn VISION™.

About Unicorn Media, Inc.

Unicorn Media, Inc. is a digital media management provider that helps companies deliver media to any device, any time, anywhere, while providing real-time analytics on any platform. Unicorn’s core services include Unicorn ONCE™, which allows content owners to ingest media one time and deliver everywhere and Unicorn VISION™, which provides real-time analytics across any Internet-connected device. These services are layered on Unicorn’s core technology platform, Unicorn ELEMENTS™, which is a modular suite of workflow optimization tools that enable publishers to customize their online video strategy. Founded by Limelight Networks founding CEO, Bill Rinehart, and headquartered in Tempe, AZ, privately held Unicorn Media, Inc. has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and London. For additional information, please visit: http://www.unicornmedia.com

About womensforum.com

Womensforum.com is one of the Internet’s leading communities for women, reaching 17-20 million unique visitors per month. Founded in 1996, Womensforum.com has provided women around the world with personal and social interactions by engaging audiences in conversation and thought using the Internet. The network consists of articles, blogs, forums, and videos featuring parenting, food, health, style, living, entertainment, love and relationships, and more. http://www.womensforum.com